


What Have I Done?

by Squibbles94



Series: Bad Things Happen Bingo 2020 [3]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Angst, BAMF Pepper Potts, Bad Things Happen Bingo, Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Gen, Hurt Pepper Potts, Hurt Peter Parker, Hurt/Comfort, Pepper Potts Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Protective Pepper Potts, Protective Tony Stark, Swearing, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, just a bit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-23
Updated: 2020-12-16
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:07:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,381
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26607223
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Squibbles94/pseuds/Squibbles94
Summary: Stepping out of the elevator and sliding out of her heels, Pepper called out to Peter. He should have been home by then, and if he wasn't, she would lose it. "Peter, I'm home. Are you ready for a movie?"Silence greeted her.Pepper's steps faltered on her way to her room. "Peter?"OrWhile Tony is at a meeting, Peter comes home not acting like himself. Pepper gets put in an impossible predicament. Does she protect herself if it means hurting Peter?Bad Things Happen Bingo: Forced to Hurt Someone
Relationships: Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Peter Parker & Pepper Potts, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Series: Bad Things Happen Bingo 2020 [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1810915
Comments: 18
Kudos: 262





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello lovelies!
> 
> I didn’t expect this to become such a long story. I honestly had everything mapped out and then I got to the end and was like ‘I could do a thing’. Then as I was writing that one, it happened again. So, who knows at this point. I'm hoping for 4 to 5 chapters at the max. 
> 
> Hope you all enjoy! There are trigger warnings for this. They are located in the endnotes section of each chapter because of spoilers.

There were moments when Tony regretted his decision to come out as Iron Man. Those moments when his family was no longer safe, or someone thought it was a good idea to come after him because it would legitimize them as a force to be reckoned with. The moment that he decided to end things with Pepper because he couldn't walk away from Iron Man and it wasn't fair to her. Not to mention the fact that he couldn't even come to terms with his own trauma, no less the trauma inflicted on the woman after almost dying. He was constantly reminded of his failures when it came to her safety. She didn't even fight him on it. 

Then there were times he knew being Iron Man was the right choice. One such moment was when he met Peter Parker. Their relationship was born out of desperation but soon manifested into something Tony cherished. There were bumps in the road every now and again, especially in the beginning, but soon they found a rhythm that worked for them. Then, May Parker got into a car accident. 

Suddenly, no amount of superpowers were enough to prepare him for the long nights holding the kid as he dry heaved and sobbed himself to sleep or suddenly being the person who was responsible for a fifteen-year-old superpowered vigilante. His only saving grace was being able to come to terms with not being able to live without Pepper. They talked things through, and both admitted that their separation, however brief, was a mistake. The night they got the call to get Peter from the hospital, Pepper took it in stride and fought harder for the kid than Tony did. Since then, the three fell into a comfortable routine with Peter starting his junior year of high school and Pepper becoming more comfortable piloting Tony's Iron Man suits. "Just in case," he told her every time she argued that it was unnecessary. 

Peter had been going on patrol more often as he began to handle his aunt's death. Tony was not taking it well.

"I just don't know why he wants to spend every afternoon as Spider-Man," he complained one night to Pepper while sitting on the couch, wine in hand. 

The woman quirked her eyebrow at him. "Really? You don't have one clue why our self-sacrificing adoptive son would go out to save people every night of the week?"

"Okay. I know why he does it. But does it have to be every day? I could ground him," Tony mused. 

" _ Tony.  _ We've talked about this."

"I know. I just want Peter to be safe, Pep. With the rogues still MIA and this Strange guy working with us now, there's not many people the kid can call for backup if he needs it."

Pepper turned in her seat, resting her legs across Tony's lap. "Isn't that part of the reason I have a brand new suit that will conform to my body at a moment’s notice and has more firepower than most military jets?" 

"One of many."

"I think you're overthinking it, Tony. He's good at what he does, and you have every protocol in place that we can think of just in case something happens. Besides," Pepper leaned forward, practically climbing in Tony's lap, "having the penthouse to ourselves without a child with super hearing has its perks."

Tony felt a flood of warmth run through his body. He leaned close to Pepper, placing a light kiss on her jawline. "Are you trying to tell me something, Ms. Potts?" he whispered.

"I thought you were a genius, Mr. Stark. Now, are you going to join me, or do I need to start without you?"

Pepper yelped as Tony swiftly stood from the couch with her cradled in his arms, wine forgotten on the coffee table. They didn't have long before Peter returned, and Tony was going to make every moment count. 

~

Pepper snuggled closer to Tony's sleeping form. It wasn't often that she could share a bed with the man, especially if there was a deadline for SI on the horizon. She honestly couldn't believe how her life turned out sometimes. She was the CEO of a multibillion-dollar company, engaged a real-life superhero, and was the parent to a fifteen-year-old kid. The moments she was able to relax and not have to worry about signing documents, or packing lunches, or the alarms going off in the Tower telling her that her fiance had blown up his lab again were few and far between. So, when she could snag those moments, she cherished them. 

However, like every peaceful moment, it was shattered by a situation that needed immediate attention.

"Boss, Peter has arrived home," F.R.I.D.A.Y. told Pepper quietly. It was a protocol they put in place, so they always knew he got home safe. 

"Thanks, Fri." Pepper slid out of bed, making sure not to wake Tony. 

Walking into the kitchen, Pepper smiled at the smooth motions that Peter was moving with. The boy had his mask off and tucked into the Spider-Man suit's belt, making his hair stick out at odd angles. He was bouncing on his feet and nodding to some rhythm in his head as he made a sandwich. Pepper knew Peter needed to eat much more than he was taking for himself, so she decided to reveal herself instead of watching him from the shadows. 

"You know, we do have some fruit you can eat with that sandwich," she suggested.

Peter glanced over his shoulder and flashed Pepper a smile. "I know. I was getting to it."

"Sure, you were. How was patrol?" she asked, sitting on the stool at the island. 

Peter put the finishing touches on his too large sandwich and rushed to sit next to Pepper. "It was good. Met a new guy today. He was yelling something about being my worst nightmare, and he was wearing this god awful lime green cape. Like, dude, have you ever heard of fashion? Anyway, I tried to web him up because he was scaring people and like throwing these swirly mist balls, or something. But he kind of disappeared before I could nab him. Still don't know how he did that."

Pepper's eyebrows pulled together. "Did he call you out by name?"

Chewing frantically, Peter nodded his head. "Yep. He was like 'Spider-Man, you're a menace.' I mean, it's not like I've never heard that before, but still. Rude."

"You know, I'd feel a bit more comfortable if you mentioned this to Tony. Maybe we can figure out who this guy is and take care of him."

"No, it's all good, Pepper. I can handle it. Besides, if I mention it to Mr. Stark, then he's going to think I can't handle it. And I totally can."

Pepper reached up to thread her fingers through Peter's messy hair. "I know you can, Pete. I just worry about you. You're just like Tony," she mused. 

Peter stared at her with wide eyes, sandwich forgotten. "Really? You really think that?"

Smiling slightly, Pepper said, "of course, I do. You boys throw yourselves into danger because you care about people. And you do it with no questions asked. You are also both extremely infuriating because you won't let anyone take care of you."

Peter had the decency to look a bit sheepish at that. "I just don't want anyone to think they  _ have  _ to help me."

"I know Tony has told you this before, but I'm going to say it now. You are not a burden, and it's okay to ask for help. You know you can always come to me, right? For anything."

"I know."

"Even if you can't handle someone as Spider-Man."

Peter's face fell. "I can't ask you to-"

"I can take care of myself. Trust me, I'm a pro with the Iron Man suit, and most importantly, nothing is going to stop me from protecting you if you need it." Peter stared at her dumbfounded, and Pepper clasped the boy's suit covered hand in hers. "I know you were Tony's kid long before you even knew me, but Peter, you're my kid too."

Before Pepper could comprehend what was happening, she was being pulled into a tight hug. Only hesitating for a moment, she flung her arms around her kid as he clung to her. She never thought about being a mom, and before Tony, it never seemed possible to care for someone as much as she cared for the two boys in her life. Pepper knew it was wrong, but she was grateful that she had the chance to experience loving someone like a son, even though it cost so many people their lives to make it happen. 

"I love you," Peter whispered against her neck. 

"Oh, sweetie. I love you, too." Pepper kissed the side of Peter's head and felt the boy melt into her touch. "You ready to clean up and head to bed?"

"Yeah. Yeah, that might be good." Peter pulled away from her, turning his head slightly so she wouldn't see the tears in his eyes. "Goodnight, Pepper."

"Night, sweetie. Don't forget that Tony is going out of town tomorrow for the new Avengers summit, and I won't be back until later because I have a meeting. You gonna be okay for dinner?"

"Yeah, I might swing around a bit."

"Okay. Remember to be home by 8:00. F.R.I.D.A.Y. will tell us if you're late," Pepper warned. 

"Can't I stay out a bit later than that? All the good stuff happens after 9," Peter pleaded. 

"Not this time. With Tony gone, I'd feel better if you were here when I got home. We can do a movie night," Pepper suggested. 

Peter smiled a bit at that. "Sure. I've got to get you to watch The Mummy. I still can't believe you've never seen that."

"We'll talk about it. Now scoot. You need your rest, and so do I."

Pepper shook her head as Peter bounded out of the room. That kid was going to be the death of her and Tony one day.

~

Pepper's feet were killing her. She had been running around since before the sun came up. She did damage control from Tony and Peter's last day out on the town, which led to photographs being leaked to the press. Even without the damage control she did, her day was filled to the brim with appointments. Her dinner lasted longer than it should have because the liaison from a potential partnering company made several advances towards Pepper and the female waitstaff. Not only that, but he also sent his meal back twice to prolong the dinner. It took everything within her to stay calm and professional, but the moment the man placed a hand on her leg was the last straw. Pepper didn't care that the company could have pushed SI into a new era. No one touched her and got away without a black eye. Though, she did send a polite email to the man's superiors about his behavior. 

She just wanted to get home, take a shower, and watch movies with her kid. She was toying with the idea of calling Tony on the way home, but decided against it. If she told him what happened, he would leave his meeting, and they didn't need that. Besides, she handled it. 

Stepping out of the elevator and sliding out of her heels, Pepper called out to Peter. He should have been home by then, and if he wasn't, she would lose it. "Peter, I'm home. Are you ready for a movie?"

Silence greeted her.

Pepper's steps faltered on her way to her room. "Peter?"

When she got no response, Pepper made her way to the living room. Peter was standing by the floor to ceiling window that overlooked the city. He was still in his Spider-Man suit. This wasn't an unusual occurrence, but what was odd was how still he was standing and that his mask was still on. He didn't so much as twitch as she walked into the room. 

"Peter? Are you okay?" Pepper asked, making her way to the boy.

Not moving a muscle, Peter said in a low voice, "you think that you can control me because you took me in. You're pathetic."

"Excuse me?" Pepper asked, shocked. She had never heard Peter talk to anyone like that before. 

Turning around, Peter faced Pepper with his head tilted slightly. "I said, you're pathetic. Everything you do is centered around a man that didn't even look at you until he suffered from PTSD. Let's face it. You're just a convenient fuck to Tony."

"That is  _ enough!  _ What the hell is going on with you?" Pepper felt her heartbeat quickening with fear and anxiety. There was no way Peter was okay. He wouldn't say anything like this. Not Peter. 

Peter's body spasmed slightly. His once still figure slumped somewhat, and he brought his hands up to his head, pressing his palms into his temples. Pepper could hear the ragged breath that tore its way from Peter's lungs. It sounded like he was sobbing. 

"Pepper?" his voice losing the bite that it had earlier. Now it was almost pleading. "Get out. You need to run. Please. I can't-"

"Peter? F.R.I.D.A.Y. get Tony here, now!" Pepper yelled as she ran across the living room towards Peter. 

Before she got close enough to touch him, Peter jerked back. "No! Don't come any closer! You need to run. Please. Please, just _ run _ ," Peter’s voice cracked on the last word as a sob left his throat. 

"I'm not leaving you. Remember what I said last night. Anything, I'll do anything for you," Pepper tried to soothe. "Talk to me."

Almost as if he were attached to strings, Peter's body jerked upward. He was no longer breathing heavily and was deathly still again. "Why would I talk to you? You're not my family. You don't care about me."

"Okay. I don't know what's going on with you right now, but Tony's on his way. We're gonna figure this out, okay?" Pepper didn't want to leave Peter, but she realized something was terribly wrong. Inching backward, Pepper got ready to make an excuse to get to the car. 

"Tony might be coming back here, but you won't be alive to see him." 

Before Pepper could process what Peter said, the boy lunged at her. Pepper's head crashed against the edge of the coffee table near the couch as Peter's body pinned hers to the ground. She let out a cry of panic as Peter restrained her arms so she couldn't move. Pepper tried to roll him off of her, but he didn't budge. 

"Peter, please! Stop! You don't want to do this," Pepper tried to reason. 

Peter's grip loosened on her arms, and Pepper could hear his breaths again. He looked like he was on the verge of a panic attack, and Pepper didn't understand what was happening. 

Peter flung himself off of Pepper and hit the ground hard. His hands grasped his head again, and he screamed in pain. "F.R.I.D.A.Y., activate protocol Iron Mom," he yelled out. 

"Activating protocol Iron Mom," F.R.I.D.A.Y. reported. 

Pepper let out a gasp when she felt armor wrapping itself around her body. She was able to get to her feet when Peter stilled again. 

"Peter?" Pepper whispered. 

"You're gonna die tonight," Peter growled. 

Pepper braced herself for the attack and was so thankful that she had the armor. Peter's fist collided with the suit, and she felt the dent it created near her chest. Still, she was standing, so she tried to block his next attack. 

The punch landed across the faceplate, making her head bounce against the rough interior. Pepper felt blood cascade down the side of her face when her temple hit the edge of something. She pushed Peter back, using the suit to aid her. 

"Peter, I don't want to hurt you. Stop! Please don't make me hurt you," Pepper gasped. 

Peter ran at Pepper, but before he could get close, she engaged the repulsors. Peter was sent flying backward against the high windows. Pepper cringed as she heard his head crack against the glass, and he fell in a heap on the floor. 

"Peter?" Pepper called. "Peter? Can-can you hear me?"

When the limp body didn't even move, Pepper slowly made her way towards him. She couldn't stop her hands from shaking as she made her way to the child that she just knocked out. 

"Oh, God. What did I do? What did I do?" Pepper whispered to herself.

She reached a point where Peter was close enough to touch when he moved. Swiftly, with a speed that made Pepper's head spin, Peter was on his feet. He lunged at her, knocking her to the ground. She wasn't able to bring her hands up in time before a barrage of punches were thrown at the chestplate. 

She felt the dents in the armor become more defined until she heard the crack that signaled she lost her protection. All Peter needed to do was send one more punch at her to end it. 

"Peter, please," Pepper whimpered. 

Without acknowledging Pepper's pleas, Peter brought his fist down on Pepper's chest. 

The crack of her ribs was overshadowed by the scream of agony that pierced the air.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all the love I got on this story!

Tony zoned out as Dr. Strange asked yet another question. They were supposed to be done for the day, but there had been so many setbacks that they still had almost half the topics left to discuss. He was eager to go back to his hotel room and call Pepper. He hadn't talked to her all day and knew she had a busy day. Anything would have been better than sitting at this table discussing reforms to the Avengers team. 

A buzzing in his pocket brought Tony back to reality. He slipped his phone out and saw a message from F.R.I.D.A.Y. 

'Boss, Ms. Potts has asked for your presence at the Tower.'

Tony frowned in confusion. Pepper knew he was in a meeting. He typed back, 'I'm a bit busy. What's going on?"

'Peter is attacking Ms. Potts.'

Tony read F.R.I.D.A.Y.'s message. Then reread it. There was no way that was right. 

'Are you sure?"

Instead of a typed message, F.R.I.D.A.Y. displayed a security video of the penthouse. Peter was charging Pepper, who was wrapped in the Iron Man suit, which meant something was seriously wrong. 

Tony shot to his feet, not caring about the disgruntled noises that came from those at the table. 

"Stark, where are you going?" Stephen Strange asked, incredulously. 

"Home. My family's in trouble," Tony snapped as he strode out of the room. 

He made it to his Iron Man suit that was standing guard when he heard footsteps behind him. 

"We don't have time for your melodramatics, Stark," Strange huffed. "Explain to me what's going on."

"Peter is attacking Pepper. I don't know what the hell is going on. He wouldn't do that. Something's wrong."

Strange watched Tony closely for a moment, taking in his pale face and hurried breaths. "Give me a moment. If you want to get to them in the next minute, don't fly off. It'll just make it more difficult for me to transport you."

"I'm sorry, transport me?" Tony asked as his suit enveloped him.

He watched as Strange did some hand-wavy thing, and then there was a glowing yellow ring hovering in the air next to him. Of course, he could just pass through space in a portal. Why not?

His musings were cut short by a high pitched scream coming from the other side of the portal. 

"Pepper!" Tony yelled, launching himself through the portal. He ignored the way he stumbled slightly in favor of taking in the scene in his living room.

Peter was pinning Pepper down. The metal of the Iron Man armor had been torn away, leaving Pepper with no protection. He couldn't tell if she was still conscious, but the suit didn't move. He could barely see the subtle rise and fall of her chest, and his heart relaxed a fraction. She was still alive. 

"Peter!"

The boy was exuding rage as his muscles tensed up. "Finally. What took you so long, Stark?"

That took Tony aback. He could hardly get the kid to call him Tony if he begged, so Peter calling him by his last name with such a harsh tone was enough to make him stop. Something was so so wrong. This couldn't be Peter. 

Behind him, Tony heard Strange muttering under his breath. He almost spun around to see what he was doing, but then Peter turned his head to the side in an almost predatory manner, his movements almost unnatural. 

"Who are you?" Tony asked carefully. 

"What? Having problems remembering the teenager that you groomed to fight for you? Typical, Stark. Always forgetting the people who do your dirty work."

"Tony," Strange murmured. "I need you to distract him. I need to gather some ingredients. This isn't Peter."

"No, shit Sherlock," Tony snapped. Then he turned his attention to Peter, ignoring the whooshing sound behind him. "This isn't you, kid. You don't have a hurtful bone in your body."

"Really? You don't think I do?" Peter reached up and yanked off his mask. 

Tony felt his jaw clench at the sight. Peter’s eyes were shining a pale blue, and thick black veins were running through his face. Nothing compared to how pale the kid looked and how his cheeks were slightly sunken, almost as if he hadn’t eaten in days. 

“Peter doesn’t. So, whoever you are, just know that you’re not fooling anyone.”

Peter scoffed. “You were always a clever one. Maybe I chose the wrong body for this. Maybe not. Either way, I get what I want.”

“And what’s that?” Tony asked. He had to keep Peter talking until Strange got back from doing whatever he was doing. 

"I want to see you break when I kill her," Peter spat. “The only woman you ever loved. It’s a shame, really, she’s so beautiful. And then, I’m going to have little Peter here, tear out your throat while he watches. Who knows after that. I kind of like this body. It’s strong and young, something I’ll never be again. Maybe I’ll take him out for a spin for a while.”

“If you touch a single-”

A howling laugh burst from Peter’s throat. “You still think you have the power. But I know a secret,” Peter lowered his voice to a sinister whisper, “you won’t hurt Peter, because you love him too much. You’d even sacrifice the love of your life for this pathetic child.”

With another smirk in Tony’s direction, Peter moved his arm up, poised to strike. 

"Don't!" Tony yelled as Peter swung his arm down toward Pepper's limp body. Before it could connect, Tony fired his repulsor at Peter, sending him flying back. 

Tony knew that the stun setting wouldn't have done much, so he prepared the next highest power level. It left a jagged burn on Peter's chest as he flew backward. The teenager hit the floor in a crumpled heap. There was a trickle of blood running down the Spider-Man suit from the hole in Peter's chest. 

There was a shift in air pressure, and suddenly Strange was bustling past him carrying a large flagon and a small pouch. The man passed by Pepper in his haste to get to Peter.

"I said to distract him. Not blow a hole in his chest," Strange snapped at Tony.

"I didn't really have a choice," he said as he made his way over to Pepper.

He figured Strange had Peter taken care of, and Pepper needed him. His suit disengaged, letting him kneel by Pepper without restrictions. 

"Fri, get this suit off of her," he told his AI. 

When it released Pepper, the first thing Tony saw was the blood gushing from her head. Pepper's eyes were closed, and her breathing was labored. How many times was she hit? Why didn't she fight back?

As soon as that question entered his head, he knew the answer. It was Peter. She didn't want to hurt Peter. The reality of what just happened crashed down on Tony, and his chest felt heavy with guilt. He burned his kid. He hurt Peter. He could have killed him. Peter could still die.

"F.R.I.D.A.Y.. Get Cho down here," Tony choked out. 

Tony didn't wait to hear the AI's response before he turned his attention back to Pepper. He cradled her face in his hands, doing his best not to move her neck. 

"Pep? Can you hear me, baby?" he asked softly. 

Tony was aware of Strange speaking behind him and turned to see what was happening. The man had gotten Peter onto his back and was pouring the flagon of dark liquid in Peter's mouth. 

"What the hell is that?" Tony asked, panic evident in his voice. 

"Spell," Strange muttered. 

"Tony?" a fragile sounding voice called. 

Turning his attention back to his fiance, he saw that she was blinking slowly against her fatigue. "Hey. Hey, don't talk, okay? Cho's coming down to check you out."

"Is Peter okay?" Pepper asked quietly.

Tony felt his heart almost burst from her question. Even though she was probably in immense pain, she still had Peter as her priority. He didn't think he would ever find a better woman than Pepper Potts. 

"He's gonna be fine. Don't worry about him, okay? We are gonna figure this out. Promise." He ran his fingers through her hair gently, trying to calm her down. 

"It's… hard...to breathe," Pepper whispered, closing her eyes.

"I know. You might have some cracked ribs. Just try to take slow breaths."

Thankfully, the elevator beeped, and in no time at all, Dr. Cho was rushing into the room. 

"What happened?" she asked.

"Long story. Check Pepper's chest and her head. I'm not sure what else. Just. Help her," Tony bit out. 

"Okay. I need you to calm down and move back so we can get her on a gurney." Cho glanced over at Peter. "We'll come back for him. I'm more worried about Pepper's neck right now, and I can't risk you carrying her."

Tony watched helplessly as the love of his life was strapped to a stretcher. He wasn't there when it happened. This was on him. His attention was torn away from Pepper when he heard Peter's ragged coughs from behind him. Tony felt like he was being ripped in two. He couldn't be there for both of them at the same time, but he needed to.

"Okay, we are going to get her upstairs then come back for Peter," Cho told him as they started to wheel Pepper away. 

Tony looked desperately between the two people he loved most in the world and felt his panic rise. 

"Tony," Pepper called to him. He walked over to her side and saw the fire in her eyes. "If you leave Peter, I will… kill you. Don't even think... about coming with me."

Tony couldn't help the chuckle that left him. "Yes, ma'am. I'll be there when you get in a room," he promised.

"Stark." 

Tony took in a deep breath before turning around to face Peter. He didn't want to see what he did to him. But he also knew that Peter needed him. Strange was hunched over the boy, who was sweating profusely. Tony rushed to Peter's side and fell to his knees. 

"Oh, God. I'm so sorry, Pete," he whispered.

"I don't have time for your guilt complex," Strange snapped. "There was a powerful spell placed on Peter. It's why he attacked Pepper. I've never seen a mind configuring spell this strong before."

"Is he going to be okay?" Tony asked. 

Peter's eyes were open and were back to their normal color, but they were unfocused. Peter's eyes slid over Tony, and the man thought he saw a spark of recognition before it was gone. 

"He should be fine. We have a problem, though." 

"What?"

Strange hesitated for a moment. "It seems as if whoever did this, put in a failsafe. They knew what I would do if I was here to cure Peter. Someone knew it was a possibility that I would be called in. I'm sorry, Tony."

"Sorry? Sorry for what, Strange? Fix my kid," Tony growled. 

"Tony. I can't. He needs to finish this on his own. He needs to work through whatever prison his mind is trapped in. I can't help him any more than I have."

"Are you telling me he could stay like this?" Tony asked breathlessly. 

"It's very possible. I can't reach Peter fully with how deep he is in his mind. He may not even know what’s happening to him. I've never seen the spell attach itself to someone like this before." Strange rubbed a shaking hand over his forehead. "There is one other option, but you aren't going to like it," Strange warned. 

"I'll do anything to get him back. Just tell me, Strange," Tony begged. "What do I have to do?"

"I need to project your consciousness into his mind. It's the only way we can help him. If not, he may never wake up again."

Tony felt like he got punched in the stomach. His fiance was lying in a hospital bed with broken bones. Bones that his kid broke. Someone poisoned Peter when he wasn't there, and now he was stuck in a mind-Hell. Not to mention how Tony physically hurt Peter. 

Tony would be damned if he didn't get his kid back after hurting him. He wasn't losing Peter. 

"I'll do it."

“Are you sure? You need to consider-”

“Strange. I’m doing it. Now do whatever voodoo you have to and get me into his mind so I can get him out. Now.”

Strange gave Tony a curt nod before placing one of his hands on Peter’s temple and his other hand on Tony’s. 

“Remember. You need to convince him that it’s not real and that he needs to wake up. And, Stark, you don’t have long before I have to pull you back out. So, move quickly,” Strange warned.

Swallowing against the panic and desperation, Tony readied himself. “Do it.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies! 
> 
> Thank you so much for all the amazing feedback on this. This week has been absolutely crazy at my school with my kids testing and all the meetings and such so I’m glad I was able to get this one up. I am already almost done with the next chapter so be on the lookout for that next week.

They say that when you become a parent, your well being is no longer your priority. It shifts to your children in a way that is almost debilitating. The worry never goes away, and parents are plagued with a sense of all-consuming apprehension when their kid gets old enough to go out on their own. Questions swirl in their mind every second they are not with their kid. Are they okay? Is something going to happen to them? If it does, will I ever recover?

These were the thoughts that assaulted Tony as Strange chanted a few words while his hands were connected to Tony and Peter's temples. Tony spared a last glance at Peter before he felt his mind go blank. 

~

Soft sheets enveloped Tony as he rolled onto his stomach. Pepper always chastised him when he slept like that because of his back. But sometimes he couldn't help it. Tony mentally filtered through everything he needed to do that day, but couldn't shake the dream he had the night before. It was awful. Peter attacked Pepper, leaving her a broken mess on their living room floor. Then, Tony remembered Strange. And there was something about...minds? 

Tony shot out of bed, almost falling off the edge and onto the hard floor. Peter. Peter was attacked by someone that made him hurt Pepper. Tony needed to bring him back. Right? But that didn't make sense. Peter was...he was at his aunt's house. He hadn't been over to the Tower for a long time because of school. At least, Tony thought that was the reason. Right?

No. Tony was at a business meeting, and he was called away because something was wrong with Peter. Something...Tony huffed in frustration. He needed to see Peter. Maybe if he saw the boy, it would make more sense. 

His musings were interrupted by the door opening, and Pepper staring at him with impatience. Her skin wasn't painted with bruises or cuts that marred her in his nightmare. In fact, she was almost glowing. Her hair was hanging loosely down her back, and she had a light layer of makeup. She was in jeans, something she only wore around the house. 

"You were supposed to be up already. What are you doing? We're late!" she fussed. 

Tony shook his head slightly, trying to wake himself up fully and clear his head. He felt pressure on his temple, and then the memories came flooding back. The alert. Peter's face. Pepper lying broken on the floor. The repulsor firing at Peter's chest. 

Tony felt like all the oxygen had been sucked from his lungs. It wasn't a nightmare. It was real. He was in Peter's head. 

"Oh shit."

Pepper scoffed. "Oh shit, is right. I can't believe you right now."

"Where's Peter?" he asked, not bothering with the pleasantries. 

"Waiting on us." Pepper took in Tony's appearance, and she pursed her lips. "You forgot."

"I..." Tony thought for a second. The only way to get to Peter quickly was to go along with it. "Yeah. I forgot. Sorry, you know how I get."

Pepper shook her head in exasperation. "Birthday party. Peter invited you over a month ago, and it's been in your calendar. Don't worry, I already got a present. All you have to do is show your face and not act surprised when he opens it."

Was it Peter's birthday? Tony thought that was a couple of months away, but he remembered he was in Peter's mind. Maybe his birthday was something he didn't like. Peter once told him that his birthday had been hard since Ben died because they always spent the day together with May. Also, Peter hated getting gifts. But that didn't seem like a good enough reason for his birthday to be the thing that represents his Hell. 

After much coaxing by Pepper, Tony finally got dressed and was pulled into a large Audi. Riding through the city was something Tony usually enjoyed, but with all the unanswered questions floating through his head, it was hard to concentrate. Pepper didn't seem to notice the way Tony had to ask her to repeat herself multiple times, but she did give him a questioning glance when they stopped in front of a tall building in Manhattan. 

"What's wrong?" she asked when he didn't move from his seat. 

"Where are we?"

Pepper squinted her eyes at him. "Did you have an accident in the lab last night that you forgot to tell me about?"

"Not that I'm aware of. I'm fine."

"Sure." Pepper sighed deeply. "Look. Just try to act like you're rested. Please don't go over the top about today. You know how much this means to Peter."

"Yeah, I know. I got it, Pep. I just had a late night," Tony tried to soothe his blunder. 

"I know, but you need to start taking care of yourself. I worry about you, you know." Pepper cupped the side of Tony's face lovingly. "Let's go. We're already late," Pepper said as she moved to get out of the car. 

Ignoring the fact that Pepper never answered his question, Tony climbed out of the car and followed her into the pristine lobby. He gaped at her as she greeted the man at the front desk and moved swiftly to the elevator, nestled in the back of the lobby. His confusion mounted until they stopped at a door on the top floor of the building. Before they could knock, the door was yanked open by a little boy with unruly dark curly hair. 

"Ms. Pepper! Mr. Tony!" the child shouted before lunging into Pepper's arms. 

Pepper grabbed hold of the child and lifted him into her arms. "Hi, sweetie," she said, placing a kiss on his cheek. "Where's your cousin?"

"He said he would be out in a minute. He's still trying to wrap his present."

"Really? Well, how about you and I go say hi to your mom, and Mr. Tony can go check on Pete?" Pepper said, casting a glance toward Tony. 

The man was having a hard time keeping his face from showing the shock he felt. He had multiple PhDs, but it took his brain far too long to reconcile the words that came from the small boy. 

Cousin. 

This was Peter's cousin. Peter didn't have a cousin, did he? No. Tony would have known about a cousin. And Pepper had said mom. Did she mean May? The thought made Tony's stomach twist uncomfortably. 

In a daze, Tony stepped through the small apartment and noted the smell of something that almost seemed edible. He reached the kitchen and stopped in his tracks. 

May was standing at the stove, her hair piled on top of her head in a messy bun. She was swaying to music coming through a speaker with the Stark logo on the side of it. As soon as his eyes were on her, he almost couldn't stop himself from rushing to her.

"May?" Tony whispered, causing the woman to spin around. 

"Tony! Finally. What took you guys so long? Here, bring this to Peter. He might have run out of tape with how much he likes to put on the paper."

Tony stood dumbly for a moment, then remembered he was supposed to act normal. He had to get to Peter. So, he grabbed the tape that was offered to him, and before he could think about it too much, he wrapped his arms around May. 

"It's good to see you, May," he whispered against her shoulder. 

He felt her shift slightly in his grasp and heard her soft scoff. "I see you've started the pregaming early. I thought we agreed this one would be alcohol-free."

Clearing his throat, Tony pulled back from May and gave a small smirk. "Yeah. I know. Just, uh, I'm glad to see you. I'll go get Pete."

Tony made his escape, taking in a big breath to calm his nerves. Though, he realized as he was walking through the hallway that he didn't know which room was Peter's. That was something he felt like he should have known, but then again, this wasn't a place he had ever been before. 

Thankfully, there was only one door pulled closed. Upon closer inspection, Tony saw stickers of the periodic table of elements that spelled out 'Parker' on the door. Of course, Peter would decorate his door with a science twist on his name. 

Tony looked at the door for a moment before pushing it open and stepping inside. Peter was sitting at his desk surrounded by wads of wrapping paper that had been cast aside. There were lego sets scattered around the room and multiple Spider-Man and Iron Man figurines on the shelves. What caught Tony's attention the most were the photographs scattered around the room. 

They were taken at various points throughout Peter's life, and they included people Tony knew and some he didn't recognize. But what struck him the most were the photos of a seemingly young Peter in photos with Tony. In one picture, Peter looked to be about five years old, and he was resting on Tony's shoulders, their smiles bright and genuine. In another, Peter was wearing Tony’s MIT hoodie, and it was almost down to his knees because he was so small. Pepper stood with Tony and Peter at what looked like a child’s birthday party. 

Then, there was the one that made Tony’s heart almost burst. Peter was holding a small bundle of pastel blankets as he stood next to a man that Tony only knew from photographs. Tony had only ever heard about Ben, but he never pushed Peter to tell him more about his uncle because he knew it was a sore subject. However, it was nice to see one of the happy memories that actually happened in the real world.

The realization that in Peter’s head, Tony watched Peter grow up, made him feel a pang of regret. He wondered what it would have been like to actually see Peter grow up. It was something he never got, but somehow it was important to Peter that Tony was included in his family. But this was supposed to be Peter’s hell. It was supposed to be a cage he was trapped in with no way out save Tony, convincing him it wasn’t real.

Strange was wrong when he said this was Peter’s Hell, Tony realized. He was so, so wrong. This wasn’t Peter’s hell. It was his heaven. He had a family that loved him, and his mind had given May and Ben a child, someone that May could cling to after Ben’s death. Someone Peter could grow up with. He had dreamed up a reality where Tony was there from the beginning, a permanent fixture in his life. Peter was happy, and it hurt knowing that Tony would have to rip him away from the small comfort he created for himself.

“If Aunt May asked you to come help me, I’m going to lose it. I don’t need help, I just need more time to make this stupid paper do what I want it to,” Peter called to Tony, breaking the man’s concentration. 

“Yeah, kiddo. Sure, that’s all you need. Except, you forget, the paper doesn’t have an agenda against you, so it’s really not doing it on purpose,” Tony replied automatically as he turned to face Peter. 

Peter looked good. His hair was a bit longer than Tony knew he liked it, but there was an ease that Peter held himself with, almost as if nothing could bother him. He didn’t have the small crease between his eyebrows that he’d had since May died. He looked happy. 

With a heavy weight in his chest, Tony strode over to Peter, pulled him from his chair, and wrapped him in a hug. 

“Oh, kid. I’m so sorry,” Tony whispered. 

“For what? You can help if you really want to, it’s fine,” Peter tried to console. 

Tony pulled away and wrapped a comforting hand around the back of Peter’s neck. “No, it’s not that. I...Peter, you trust me, right?”

“Yeah,” Peter said wearily.

“Okay, I need you to listen to me very carefully. Look at me. Are you listening?” 

Peter nodded, his eyes concentrating on Tony’s. It was almost unfair that Peter trusted him so much. But at that moment, he wasn’t going to take that for granted. It was actually what he needed to get Peter out of his mind. Tony just hoped he could convince the boy.

“Okay. I need you to understand that what I’m about to say is true, and this isn’t a trick or a game. Got it?”

“Tony? You’re scaring me,” Peter whispered. 

Hearing Peter call him by his name was jarring. For as long as Tony knew Peter, the kid had only called him by his first name once because he was trying to make a point that he could actually say his name. Other than that, Tony hadn’t been able to break him of his incessant politeness. 

“This isn’t real, Pete. None of it. We’re in your head, kid. Something happened, someone put a spell on you, and Dr. Strange tried to help, but there was a failsafe that locked you in your head. I know this sounds crazy, kid. But you have to believe me.”

Scrunching his eyebrows together, Peter let out a small huff. “Did May put you up to this? I know, haha, Peter fell for the bully’s idea that the cafeteria was actually serving cats as their mystery meat. But, really, Tony? We’re in my mind? That’s a little out there, even for you.”

“No, kid. Listen. This isn’t a joke, or some way to get back at you for something. I swear on my life, I’m telling the truth.” 

Peter chuckled a bit. “Okay, so what’s it like on the outside of my head? I mean, it’s gotta be fun if people are putting spells on me. Is it like Hogwarts? Please tell me it’s like Hogwarts.”

Before Tony could answer, there was an insistent knock at the door. “He’s coming!” was half shouted through the door. 

“Oh, crap!” Peter muttered as he flung himself toward his desk. He quickly wrapped up the last corner of the present he had been working on when Tony came into the room. Then, he dashed out of the room, pulling Tony with him. 

“Okay, Tony, you go behind the wall of the kitchen,” Pepper said when she caught sight of him. 

Refusing to get into a heavy debate with the Pepper in Peter’s mind, Tony did what he was told without question. He needed to figure out a way to convince Peter that he was telling the truth. He was running out of time. Strange said if he didn’t get through to Peter fast enough, that his kid would die, so he needed to figure out a way to get Peter to listen. 

Before Tony could ponder this too much, the door opened, and everyone jumped from their hiding spots. Tony popped out a second too late to be considered on purpose, and when he did, his stomach dropped. 

In the doorway stood Ben Parker, alive and well.

“Well, shit,” Tony whispered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, apparently I really like cliffhangers and I didn’t realize it until I posted these chapters. I promise everything will be okay, but hey, it makes life exciting. 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading so far!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies!
> 
> So. I know it's been a minute. Work has been crazy and I have not had much time to write. But! I am already writing the next chapter! So, yay!

Sitting at the kitchen table, Tony tried to keep his face as neutral as possible as everyone sang to Ben. He couldn't stop looking at the smile that adorned Peter's face through the evening. The kid looked so happy as Ben wrapped an arm around him and placed a kiss on his head. Peter was content as he held onto his cousin, Jackson, as they watched Ben open his presents, and as they devoured the cake. 

It stung Tony to see what Peter could have had if the universe was just a bit more forgiving. Just a little less cruel. 

"Tony? Can you help me with the dishes?" Peter asked when everyone was done with dessert. 

"Come on, Pete. Let Tony relax a bit. You know that's your chore," Ben lightly scolded his nephew. 

"But it's boring, and I need to tell him about the project I'm working on," Peter argued.

Tony rose from his seat without hesitation, glad for an opportunity to speak with Peter alone. "That's okay. I'll just go supervise him. Make sure he isn't leaving specks on anything." 

He followed Peter into the kitchen and listened to Peter's rambling about how chocolate cake would have been better but how Ben liked the vanilla. It was such a mundane conversation that it made Tony smile slightly. As much as he enjoyed his time with Peter's family and the idea of Peter's perfect life, he knew they needed to get out of there because it was only an illusion. 

"Hey, Pete?" he asked. 

"Yeah?" Peter asked as he scrubbed a large dinner plate. 

"Kiddo, we need to talk. We can finish the dishes in a bit. How about we head up to the roof and talk for a minute," Tony suggested. Somehow, he didn't think it would go well if they talked about everything in the apartment with the sounds of laughter that was coming through from the other room. 

Peter stopped washing the dish and looked at Tony, his eyebrows pulling together. "Is everything okay?" 

"Yeah, kiddo. Just want a minute to catch up with you, and I know how much you love the roof."

Looking slightly confused, Peter dried his hands on a nearby towel and called out to May and Ben, telling them where he was going and that he would finish when he got back. They headed out of the door in silence, and Tony followed Peter to the roof's access area. When they got to the top, Peter turned swiftly to Tony. He was wringing his hands together, the nervousness showing through the action. 

"What's going on, Tony? You're never this quiet. Are you okay?"

Tony gave Peter a sympathetic look and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Let's go have a seat."

Peter jerked out of his grasp and took a step back. His eyes shone with worry, and his breathing was fast. "I don't want to sit down. I want you to tell me what's happening. I want-" Peter was stopped with a choked off gasp. His hand immediately went to his chest, and he struggled to drag in a breath. 

"Peter?" Tony asked in alarm.

Instead of answering, Peter reached into his pocket and produced an inhaler. An inhaler that he had needed when he had asthma before the bite. 

Before the bite. 

Tony let this information rattle in his head for a moment before he stepped forward and grabbed Peter's shoulders in his hands. "Pete? Tell me you're still Spider-Man." 

"I'm still… what?" Peter asked as he got his breathing under control. 

"Spider-Man. Vigilante. You got bit by a radioactive spider, and you swing around every day, giving me heart attacks at least three times a week. Spider-Man," Tony pressed. 

Peter's eyebrows shot up. "What are you talking about? May would go insane if I tried to do anything dangerous. Come on, Tony. You know I can't do any of the stuff you can do. I mean, I tried to, but then, well, you remember how it went with the Hammer Tech thing."

"No. Kid, listen to me. Remember what I said about us being in your head?" Tony asked.

Peter tilted his head to the side in exasperation. "Really?"

"Yes. I wasn't lying to you. A wizard put a spell on you, and you're dying. If you don't wake up soon, you're going to die. And I can't let that happen, so, please, you have to believe me, Underoos."

A spark of recognition flew across Peter's face at the nickname. "What did you call me?"

"Underoos. I call you that all the time, and you hate it. I have so many nicknames for you, kid. Underoos. Spiderling. Spiderbaby. Webs. Kiddo. Buddy."

"Bambino," Peter whispered, "You call me Bambino because that's what your mom called you."

"Right. Do you remember me telling you that?"

Peter nodded slightly, then shook his head. "That doesn't make any sense. Why would this guy put a spell on me? I'm nobody."

"Oh, kid. You are one of the bravest people I have ever met. You're Spider-Man. You go out and help people because you are so damn good."

"I-you-you're not kidding...are you?" Peter asked. 

"No. I wouldn't lie to you about this. I swear, I'm telling the truth."

"But Aunt May and-"

"They aren't real. They're a trick to keep you here."

Peter frowned at Tony slightly. "Why would they be here to keep me in my head? I can just see them when I wake up."

Tony's throat felt tight. "Oh, kid. I'm so sorry."

"Tony?" Peter asked, his voice strained. "I can just see them when I wake up, right?"

Tony sucked in a deep breath and placed his hands on Peter's shoulders. "No, kid. You won't."

"Why? No. That-it can't-they have to be there," Peter's voice turned almost panicked. 

"You're Uncle Ben died two years ago, and your Aunt May got into a car accident a few months ago. You're living with Pepper and me at the Tower." Peter was openly crying, but Tony couldn't stop. "But we're taking care of you, and you are still going out as Spider-Man, and you still have so many people who love you. You're even dating that scary girl, Michelle, and she is head over heels."

"What about Jackson?" Peter asked hesitantly. He closed his eyes, ready for the blow. 

Tony sighed and closed his eyes briefly before looking back to Peter. "He was never born. Ben and May never had any biological children. They had you, and that was enough for them."

Peter looked like he was slapped in the face. "Why are you saying all this? Why would you even think about-no. No. That can't be right. I was holding him. I was there when he was born! He's real!" Peter slowly raised his voice until he was screaming. 

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, kid."

"If you were sorry, you never would have told me any of this!"

"I have to!" Tony couldn't keep his temper in check. He had to make Peter understand. "I need to get you to wake up. I need to get you back because I can't lose you! It'll kill me. You...you are the best thing that I have in my life."

Tears were streaming down Peter's face, and he was shaking. Tony didn't know what he could say to comfort him. 

"Pete. I need you to wake up. I know it seems like you're happier in here, but kid, you are so much more out there," Tony tried to reason. 

"Say I believe you," Peter said slowly. "Why would I go back? I don't feel any pain, and I have May and Ben. I have Jackson. What if I just...stayed?"

Tony's stomach dropped. "Did you not hear me? You'll die. You'll be dead, Peter."

"So? If I stay, I can live with May and Ben. I can watch Jackson grow up. How can you ask me to just throw all that away?"

Tony's jaw clenched. “Listen up. I refuse to let you stay here without you knowing everything that you're going to throw away. You might not have May and Ben anymore, but you have Pepper and me. You have Rhodey and Vision. You have Ned and Michelle, who will be devastated if you don't fight. 

And if you don't want to do that for them, just remember that you're Spider-Man. You go out every night and save people. Kiddo, I'm not saying that life’s fair. We both know that it's not. What I am saying is that so many people are alive because of you. There are women and children who are sleeping safely in their beds because of you. It's not fair. It downright sucks. But I know you, and you deserve the chance to have a life. A real life. 

You told me one time that you wanted to be like me. And I said to you that I wanted you to be better. And you are. You are so much better than all of us. Don't let this guy win. Fight.” By the time Tony stopped talking, tears were rolling down his face. He couldn't lose Peter. 

Peter shut his eyes and choked on a sob. The wind had picked up, and it was blowing Peters curls all around. Tony didn't feel good about what he had said. He didn't want to guilt Peter into not staying, but he didn't see any other way.

“Do I make a difference?” Peter asked in a small voice.

“What?”

“Do I make a difference?" Peter asked, sounding resolute. "If I have to lose everyone I care about, I need to know. Do I  _ really _ help people? Is it worth it?”

Tony swallowed hard but nodded, “yeah, kiddo. You make a hell of a difference.”

Peter looked down at his shoes and sniffed. “Can I say goodbye to them first?”

The relief that Tony felt was almost palpable. “Yeah, of course. just don't tell them the truth; that might get a little complicated.” 

"Will you come with me?" Peter asked, looking much younger than he was.

Tony wrapped an arm around Peter's shoulders. "Always."

Tony followed Peter down the stairs after he wiped away the tears off each of their faces. He kept a comforting hand on the back of Peter's neck the entire way back to the apartment. Tony couldn't even imagine what Peter was feeling at that moment. If Tony had the chance to see his parents one last time, he wondered what he would say. If he got his perfect life, would he have been able to give it up because it was the right thing to do? In more ways than Peter would ever realize, he was already better than Tony would ever be. Tony could tell him that every day for the rest of his life, and it still wouldn't do the kid justice. 

Stopping outside of the door, Peter's hand shook as he placed it on the door handle. “What do I even say? Are they even real?”

“As for what you are going to say, I can't really help you with that. Even though they might not be real, they can be real to you. You have a chance to say goodbye, Pete. Not everyone gets that.” 

Peter nodded slightly. “I know. I'm just afraid that if I see them, then I won't want to go back.”

"It's up to you, kiddo. We can always get out of here right now if you want."

"No. I need to do this." Peter opened the door and stepped into the apartment. 

No one had moved since Peter and Tony left to have their talk. They were all sitting at the dining room table with mugs of steaming coffee in front of them. As they walked into the room, Ben glanced over and gave a wide smile. 

"There's my favorite nephew," he said happily. "I was just telling Pepper about the car that we are building together. Should have it done for your 16th."

May swatted his arm lightly. "You know that's not going to happen unless you two spend every day working on that thing. Don't get his hopes up."

"I mean, I could put in for a leave of absen-I'm kidding. Stop looking at me like that, hon. I won't actually do it."

"I know you won't. Just can't have you giving Peter any ideas," May said, flashing Peter a wink so Ben couldn't see it. 

Peter smiled at his aunt, but it was slightly strained. "Don't worry, Aunt May. I know you guys are trying your best to get me a car in time for my birthday. It doesn't really matter if it's a bit late."

May stood and wrapped Peter in her arms. She placed a light kiss on the top of his head and said, "you're too good for us, you know that, right?"

Ben made a noise of playful exasperation. "Hey, aren't I the birthday boy? This time is for you all to dote on me. Hail King Ben!" At the end of the sentence, his voice took on a cheesy false pride, and no one could stop themselves from laughing at his antics. Even Tony chucked, though his was a bit breathless. 

Pepper smirked at the man, "how could we forget? Although, you have a total of two hours before your doting time expires. Live it up now, you heathen."

Two hours. Tony glanced at the time and saw that it was ten at night. That didn't seem right. They had just gotten there not too long ago, and it was bright outside. 

May looked at the time and grimaced down at Jackson, who was sleeping in her arms. "I guess it's time to put this monster in bed."

"I can do it," Peter volunteered immediately. 

May stood from her chair. "It's okay. You should stay out here with Tony and Pepper. I know they love spending time with you."

"No, really. I want to. We, uh, we have to finish that story that I've been reading to him. We're almost done." 

Without another word, Peter walked to May and carefully extracted Jackson from his aunt's arms. To everyone else, it looked like a cousin that wanted to help his aunt and uncle. To Tony and Peter, it was Peter saying goodbye to his cousin. His last chance to comfort the small boy that didn't exist in the real world. 

"He's good with Jackson," Pepper commented. 

"I think he feels responsible for him. You know it wasn't easy for him when his parents died, and he came to live with us," May said. 

"I don't know. I think Peter handled it the best he could, given the circumstances." Ben laughed wryly. "As much as it sucked, I'm glad he's with us. He's such a good kid."

"The best," Tony said. No part of him would deny that Peter was an amazing person. He was selfless, and just by existing, he made the room a warmer place to be. 

"Does he seem a bit upset to you?" May asked no one in particular. 

Tony shook his head slightly. "He seems fine to me. Nothing to worry about."

Ben disagreed. "No, there's something there. I think he's been having trouble adjusting to his new school. I can go talk to the principal this week and get it sorted out."

"If you need anything from Tony and I, we can help. Just let us know," Pepper offered, setting her coffee cup down on the table next to her. 

"Thanks, Pep. But really, we're fine. It's something to worry about tomorrow," Ben said as he checked his watch. "Almost midnight. You know what they say, midnight wipes the slate clean, and everything that we were the day before doesn't matter."

Midnight.

Something struck Tony about what Ben said. The time had been going by alarmingly fast that evening. Strange said they didn't have a lot of time before Peter died. Time. 

_ Shit _ . 

Tony jumped from his seat as fast as he could without arousing suspicion. "I'm gonna go check on the kids. I'll be right back."

Before anyone could object, he hurried out of the room in search of Peter. They had run out of time. 

Thankfully, Peter was slowly closing the door to Jackson's bedroom when Tony rounded the corner. 

"Kid. We have to go. Now."

Peter looked panicked at the prospect of leaving his made-up life, and Tony couldn't blame him. From what he saw from May and Ben, they loved him just as fiercely as they had in real life. 

"But I haven't said goodbye yet," Peter objected. 

Tony cupped Peter's face in his hands, needing him to understand. "There isn't time. Midnight. We have until midnight." Tony glanced at his StarkWatch. "Shit. We only have two minutes. I need you to wake up."

"But..."

"If you don't, we will both die here. Wake up." 

"How?" Peter asked, his eyes closed in resignation.

That. Was a good question. 

"I don't know. Just...decide to." 

"I don't want to," Peter whispered. 

Tony placed his forehead against Peter's. "You have to. I know it sucks, and it's going to hurt. I promise, I'm not gonna let anything bad happen to you. I swear. On my life, I promise you're gonna be okay. Just trust me," Tony pleaded. 

Peter choked out a sob. "Okay. Okay." 

They stood in silence for a moment before Peter whispered, "goodbye." 

Then, Tony felt himself falling just as his watch beeped, signaling it was midnight. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! So. This took forever. I couldn’t get my brain to get the words out but I’m glad I am able to share the ending of the story with you! 
> 
> Enjoy and thanks for reading!

Waking up from being magically implanted into someone's head wasn't the best feeling in the world. At first, Tony wondered if he had been hit by a truck before he remembered what happened. 

Snapping his head around, Tony looked for signs of Peter. It didn't take long to see the boy lying in the hospital bed across the room. Peter was breathing heavily as tears ran down his face. Tony could see his hands trembling as he gripped his torso, almost as if he were trying to keep himself together, and he was staring at the ceiling, eyes unfocused. 

Tony heaved himself out of his own bed and made his way to his son. "Pete? It's okay, kid."

Peter choked out a sob as his eyes met Tony's. The feeling of desperation and sorrow was almost palpable in the room. It was enough to make Tony reach for Peter without thinking twice. He pulled the boy to him, being careful of the injuries that were wrapped in bandages. He tucked Peter's smaller frame into his arms, his chin resting on top of Peter's head. 

"It's okay. I promise it's gonna be okay," Tony tried to soothe. 

"I-I-I just left. I didn't-I couldn't say goodbye," Peter sobbed, his frame shaking with every heave of breath. 

Tony could feel Peter's hands gripping his shirt, clinging to the idea of comfort. "I know. But they wouldn't want you to die there. You did the right thing, okay? You gotta trust me on that."

"I hurt Pepper," Peter whispered. 

"That wasn't you, kiddo. Pepper knows it wasn't you."

"I was still awake. I could hear her when she begged me not to hurt her. She was so scared." Peter tried to make himself smaller in Tony's grasp, guilt gnawing at him. 

"Listen to me." Tony leaned back and held Peter's face between his hands. "Nobody blames you for this. Someone put a spell on you and made you do things that you would never even consider. Never. This isn't on you. But I promise that you made the right decision to wake up. No one's mad at you."

"You should be. I could have killed her, and it would have been my fault just like Ben. I wasn't careful enough when I was out on patrol. I didn't see him until it was too late," Peter argued. Flinching slightly, his eyes shot to Tony's, fear radiating out of them. "Wait. The-the sorcerer, he's still out there."

Tony wanted so badly to tell Peter that he wasn't - that they caught the man that caused him at least a year's worth of therapy sessions. But the man had learned from months of experience that lying made things worse. 

Reluctantly, Tony said, "yeah, he is. Strange is probably working on tracking him down, though. Don't worry about him. He won't come near you again."

"You can't promise that," Peter said miserably, pulling away from Tony's reach. 

"Of course, I can. I'm Iron Man. Didn't you hear that all the bad guys are terrified of me?" 

The weak smile that flashed over Peter's face was enough to make Tony breathe a bit easier. 

Guilt was the curse of a superhero. The people they didn't save haunted them. Peter almost had a worse guilt complex than Tony did, and that was something Tony never wanted Peter to inherit from him. There wasn't much he could do except remind Peter that he wasn't to blame for everything and hope that it stuck. Though that did make him the biggest hypocrite in the world, he didn't much care if it helped Peter. 

"We'll talk about all this after we get you checked out of here and into your own bed," Tony promised. "Right now, I don't want you to worry about us finding this guy. But I also don't want you to leave the tower. It's too risky."

Peter nodded almost immediately, which took Tony aback. Just the mention of being grounded usually made Peter pout or argue. A Peter that didn't argue about being stuck inside was one that Tony didn't have much experience with. He decided to let it go, lest Peter change his mind and start complaining. 

They sat in silence for a few moments, each lost in their own thoughts. Tony knew Peter was blaming himself for the night's events. He needed to talk with Pepper and see that she was going to be okay. But he was reluctant to leave Peter. 

"I need to go check on Pepper. I'm sure she would be up for more than one visitor," Tony suggested.

A slightly panicked look flashed across Peter's face. "No. No, it's fine. You should go check on her. I'm just gonna...rest. Yeah, I'm feeling super tired. Long day."

"My God. It's a wonder that not everyone knows you're Spider-Man. Remind me to teach you how to lie better."

"I'm not lying," Peter insisted. 

"Sure, kid. Just let Fri know if you need anything. I'll only be a couple of doors down. I'm probably going to see what Cho says about you as well, so don't go anywhere."

Peter nodded as Tony stood from the small hospital bed and made his way toward the door. 

"Tony?" Peter asked. "Thanks for coming to get me."

Tony turned to give Peter a solemn look. "Always, kid. Without a second thought."

~

Pepper grimaced as she shifted in the hospital bed. According to the doctor who came in and examined her, there were multiple rib and facial fractures that would take a while to heal. She had multiple bruises and a sprained wrist. The worst thing Cho had to fix was the punctured lung from one of her ribs ripping through the soft tissue. They had Pepper on oxygen because she wasn't able to breathe as well as Cho would have liked. All in all, she was a mess and was glad for the painkillers being pumped into her IV. 

She had gotten out of surgery and was surprised to see Stephen Strange sitting at her bedside. His hair was tousled, and his cloak was slightly wrinkled as it drooped over his shoulders. He was watching her, almost as if he were evaluating the situation before he spoke. The act reminded her of Tony. 

Though she remembered everything that happened, a small part of her wanted to believe that it was all a dream, and Tony would be holding her hand when she woke up. 

"Pepper," Stephen greeted with a tight quirk of his lip. 

"Hey," Pepper breathed. "Where's Tony and Peter?"

Stephen squinted his eyes slightly. "There was a ... problem. Peter had a spell placed on him that made him lose control. Someone else is responsible for hurting you, Pepper. It's important for you to know that."

Pepper blinked at the man. She never thought Peter would have been the one to hurt her. It wasn't in his nature. He had never given her a reason to fear him, even though he proved that he could easily snap her bones with his bare hands. The thought sent a shudder through her body. 

"I know. Where are they, Stephen?"

"They're next door. They're both alive. They're resting right now." Stephen hesitated, as if he didn't want to send Pepper into a spiral of panic. Eventually, he spoke with a voice so soft Pepper braced herself for the inevitable bad news. "I transported Tony into Peter's mind to get him out of the spell. The sorcerer who's responsible placed Peter in a holding pattern in his head. Stark needed to make him wake up. It took a while, but they woke up just before you came out of surgery."

Pepper swallowed her panic and asked in an even voice, "is he okay? Is Peter going to be okay?"

Stephen tilted his head slightly in her direction, his eyes never leaving hers. His cloak twitched as if hesitating, then it flew off his shoulders to rest over Pepper. She felt the cloak squeeze her lightly, and she couldn't believe that she didn't even question it. The comfort it brought her was enough that she could find her voice. 

"Take me to go see them," Pepper demanded. 

"Pepper, you need to rest. Your body went through a trauma that-"

"Stephen Strange, you take me to my fiance and my son or so help me, I will make sure this is the last poor decision you make in your life."

Stephen rubbed a hand over his forehead. "I told Cho it wasn't going to be pretty when you woke up." 

Pepper leveled the man with a glare. There was nothing that was going to keep her away from Peter after what he just went through. 

"Pepper, I need you to listen to me. When Peter woke up, he was in control of himself again, but he... I think we should give him some time," Stephen cautioned. 

"Time for what? I want to see my kid, Strange."

Before they could say anything else, the door opened, and Tony rushed into the room. Pepper could see that his hands were shaking slightly, and he was taking measured breaths. He had a cup of coffee clasped in his hand that he discarded as soon as he saw she was awake. Still, it didn't take him long to be at her side. His rough hands cupped either side of her face as he looked over her, his eyes almost frantic. 

"Pep, you okay? I wanted to be here when you woke up, but-"

Pepper shook her head. "I know. It's okay. I would have done the same thing."

The edge of Tony's lips quirked upward slightly. "I'm glad you're awake. Cho said it wasn't looking good there for a minute."

"Can't get rid of me that easily. Who would pay your bills on time?"

"I think I would be able to manage. I even memorized my social security number just in case."

Pepper huffed out a small chuckle. Then, her face fell. "How's Peter?"

Tony's eyebrows twitched slightly, but he tried to cover it up before she could see. "He's okay. His healing has taken care of the worst of it, and Cho said he can sleep in his own bed tonight as long as he takes his meds and we keep an eye on him."

Sucking in a shaky breath, Pepper gave her fiancé a small smile. "Good."

Stephen cleared his throat softly. "I need to go do a search for the sorcerer that's responsible. Excuse me," he said as he nodded and turned to leave. 

"Strange," Tony called, "let me know when you find them, yeah?"

Stephen simply nodded in agreement and headed out the door, his cloak flying after him after giving Pepper a goodbye squeeze.

"He'll find him," Pepper reassured Tony, taking his hand. 

She knew that he was worried about finding the person who took over Peter's mind. If she was honest with herself, she was too. How could they find someone that had the power to take someone's free will and make them attack people they loved? Especially to someone like Peter that did everything he could not to hurt anyone. Not to mention if the person was still out there, they could try it again. That meant that Peter wasn't safe, and Pepper would do anything to make sure he didn't get hurt again. 

"Yeah, I know," Tony said quietly. 

Tony held her hand and rubbed his thumb back and forth over the back of her hand. It felt nice, almost ebbing the tension out of her. 

Then softly, Tony whispered, "I'm gonna tear this guy apart, Pep." Tony swallowed thickly. He avoided her gaze, and she recognized the sheer worry that he held in his posture. They had conversations about whether he went too far in his duties as Iron Man, and Pepper knew it was a struggle for him. 

"You know, normally, I would tell you that you need to be careful with all that anger. It tends to get you in trouble," Pepper lightly admonished. "However, this time, I think I can make an exception."

Tony ran his fingers over her bandaged head. "I'm sorry. I should have been there. I should have..." Clenching his jaw, Tony shook his head and furrowed his eyebrows. 

There weren't many people who saw this side of the man, and Pepper always felt lucky to be one of them. Though it wasn't his fault, Pepper knew there was nothing that she could say that would convince him. So instead, she leaned into his touch, silently telling him that she still believed in him and that he wasn't to blame. 

"When can I see Peter?" Pepper asked, knowing there needed to be a change of subject. She was anxious to make sure he was okay, even though Stephen and Tony both told her he was doing better. 

"Soon. I don't know if he's ready to see you yet. Honestly, the only reason he saw me was because we woke up in the same room."

Pepper's heart dropped. "I didn't want to hurt him," she whispered. 

"He knows. It's not about you, it's more about him being the one to hurt you. He's blaming himself even though I told him it wasn't on him."

"Yeah, that sounds like him," Pepper said, shifting in the bed slightly. 

"Just get some rest for now. I'll try to convince Peter that he needs to come see you. If anything, I can guilt him into it. Maybe say that you started crying when I said he didn't want to see you," Tony joked.

"Don't you dare," Pepper warned. 

Giving her a smirk, Tony leaned back in his chair, seemingly prepared to wait at her bedside. "Get some sleep, baby. I'm gonna stay right here."

Pepper could feel the drugs in her system lulling her back to sleep, so she took one last look at the man she loved and felt the darkness wash over her. 

~

The week that followed found Pepper getting well enough to go home. She still hadn't seen Peter, even though she asked every time Tony came to the room. Pepper checked in with F.R.I.D.A.Y. as much as she could, asking her for updates on Peter's well-being and the status of Stephen and Tony finding the sorcerer. She knew that there was nothing Peter could do to avoid her once she was in the penthouse, so she pushed for her release date to happen sooner than Cho would have liked. 

Tony sat her up on the couch after helping her walk out of the elevator. Apparently, the sooner she was up and moving, the better it would be for her progress and healing. It hurt like a bitch, but she had been through worse, so she didn't complain too much. 

Tony had gotten a message from Stephen that made his face pinch with apprehension. He hesitated before saying, "I need to go."

"What happened?" Pepper asked, knowing that it was either great news or terrible news. 

"We found him. Strange has him pinned down and is asking for backup."

Without thinking about it too long, Pepper nodded. "Go. I'll be okay."

Tony pressed a light kiss to her forehead and called a suit to him. As he flew out the door, Pepper felt her stomach tighten. It wasn't something she ever thought would go away, and she knew that the older Tony got, the more she worried about him. He wasn't as young as he used to be, and his heart wasn't getting any stronger either. 

The elevator dinged behind her, and she turned to see a disheveled looking Peter step out and freeze. His eyes darted around as if looking for a place to escape to. When he found none, he gave a timid wave and turned toward the hallway. 

"Kid. Get in here," Pepper called to him. 

Peter hesitated, mouth opening and closing several times before taking a deep breath and stuffing his hands into his pockets. He slowly made his way over to where Pepper was sitting but stopped on the other side of the room as if he were afraid of getting too close. 

"Sit," Pepper instructed, motioning to the seat next to her.

Peter rocked back on his heels, his fingers entwining in front of him almost as if they were a shield. His eyes flitted to the hallway behind Pepper before landing on the women. Peter nodded slightly, clearly shaking off his nerves, before making his way to the seat on the other side of the couch from Pepper. 

"How are you feeling, sweetie?" she asked calmly. Pepper wanted nothing more than to pull the boy into her arms and never let him go, but she knew he was feeling bad about what happened. Honestly, she felt just as bad. 

"I'm fine. You?" Peter asked, not looking at her. 

"I'm okay." When he didn't look at her, she said, "Peter. I'm okay. Cho said I should make a full recovery."

"But you wouldn't..." Peter started before cutting himself off. 

"I wouldn't what?" Pepper asked. When Peter refused to say anything, Pepper continued. "I wouldn't have to heal if it weren't for you? Right?"

Peter closed his eyes against her words but nodded. 

"You know that's a bunch of crap, right?" Pepper said. "If that were true, then I could say that you wouldn't have had to heal up if it weren't for me. I hit you, after all."

"That's not the same thing," Peter insisted, finally looking at Pepper. "You did what you had to do to protect yourself...from me."

"I did do what I had to do, but I did it in my own right mind. Someone didn't have me under their control. So, really, I'm the one to blame here."

"No! You...that wasn't your fault. I don't blame you. I'm the one who messed up, Pepper. I'm the one who-"

"Do you see how angry you're getting right now?"

"I'm sorry," Peter said. 

"No. Don't apologize. Listen. You're getting angry because I'm blaming myself for something that wasn't my fault. Right?"

Peter nodded.

"Now, can you imagine how mad I am at you for blaming yourself for something that was beyond your control?"

Peter's head snapped back incredulously. "That's not-"

"Yes, it is. It's the exact same thing."

They descended into silence, neither one ready to concede their argument. Pepper almost let it go before something came to her mind. 

"You know, there was a time when Tony was experimenting with this new way of getting his Iron Man armor on. The idiot put these sensors under his skin so it would align with his body."

"Seriously?" 

Pepper nodded. "There was one night, he had a pretty bad nightmare. I tried to wake him up because it was so bad, but somehow in all the confusion, Tony called the suit to protect him. He was able to shut it down before anything happened, but the damage had already been done. I was terrified of what his suits could do for quite a while."

"He would never let them hurt you, though."

Pepper smiled softly at Peter, glad that he was getting into the story. "No, he wouldn't. Anyway, after I had calmed down, I realized that it wasn't his fault. Sometimes we react to people and situations that scare us, but it doesn't really make up for the hurt we caused."

Peter hung his head slightly, his bottom lip tugged in his teeth. 

"Except, when we understand that some things are out of our control. There are just some things that happen, and we are left to pick up the pieces. I know there's nothing I can say to make you believe it wasn't your fault, but I swear that I will remind you every day if I have to that I don't blame you. Got it?"

"I don't think I'll ever forgive myself," Peter admitted. "But I'll try."

"Good. Now get over here and hug me because you have been avoiding me for a week, and I'm low on my Peter time."

Peter carefully shifted closer to Pepper and leaned into her side, careful of her injuries. Pepper rested her chin on the top of his head and breathed in the scent of his shampoo. 

"I love you, kiddo," Pepper whispered to him. 

"I love you, too," Peter murmured. 

"Boss," F.R.I.D.A.Y. called over the intercom. "Mr. Stark would like me to tell you that you should get some lawyers together and that he should be arriving soon."

Pepper let her head tumble back to the back of the couch. "What did he do now?"

"Apparently, the press got footage of him severely injuring the person responsible for putting the spell on Peter."

"You know, maybe this once we can let the footage stay out. Let everyone know what happens when someone comes after our family," Pepper mused. 

She heard Peter let out an uncertain sound. 

"Fine. Fri, let the PR department know what's happening."

Peter lifted his head from Pepper's shoulder. "You're not going to handle it?"

"Nope," Pepper said, running her fingers through his hair. "We are going to stay right here. Fri, put on The Mummy."

"Really?" Peter asked, excitement pushing through his words. 

"Really. Our movie night was interrupted."

At Peter's smile, Pepper turned her focus to the tv. She knew Tony was taking care of the person who hurt their family and that she had gotten through to Peter somehow. That was enough for her to let herself relax into the cushions. 

Until...

"Oh, God. What is she wearing? Is-is she naked?" Pepper asked, slamming her hand over Peter's eyes. 

"I mean, technically, she has fishnets on. So, not naked."

"What the hell are you watching?" Tony's voice came from behind her and Peter. She turned back to see him stepping out of his Iron Man armor. He let out a low whistle. "Hey, Pep. You know you could-"

"Don't even. Finish that sentence," Pepper warned at the same time that Peter let out a gagging sound. 

With a waggle of his eyebrows, Tony came and sat on the other side of Pepper. He pressed a kiss to her temple and patted Peter on the head. 

"Is everything cleaned up?" Pepper asked. 

"Well, he's never going to see another living person again, that's for sure. Now hush, I'm missing the murders that are happening."

There were days that Pepper felt like her decision to get mixed up in the Superhero world wasn't worth it. But sitting with her fiance and adoptive son, she knew that she made the right call. Especially when Peter let out a laugh at the antics on the screen. 

Yeah, she made the right call. 

**Author's Note:**

> **Trigger warning - verbal abuse, allusions to workplace sexual harassment (not graphic)**


End file.
